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by thewayofthetrashcompactor (BriarLily)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bars and Pubs, F/M, Inspired by Twitter, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-26 05:08:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20736716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BriarLily/pseuds/thewayofthetrashcompactor
Summary: The Resistance crew is out on the town, and Poe is desperate to find a way to keep Rey from punching out creeps at the bar. Giving out a fake number is a good way to put them off, right?Kylo's phone has never been so busy.





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**Author's Note:**

> I found [this prompt](https://twitter.com/reylo_prompts/status/1159235010626490375?s=20) on the [Reylo Prompts twitter](https://twitter.com/reylo_prompts) and couldn't resist. [Originally posted to twitter](https://twitter.com/briartrash/status/1160618514127962112?s=20), now on ao3!

"Bitch." With that parting shot, the man walks off.

"Better a bitch than that thing you call a dick," Rey yells after him, flipping him off. He turns around, face going even redder, but before she can meet him, Poe grabs her around the waist and drags her back into the crowded dance floor. 

"We agreed you weren't going to fight anyone tonight," he reminds her, pulling her through the crowds to the back wall. "You promised Finn. He likes this bar." 

Rey glares. "It's not my fault there's so many pricks who won't back the fuck off." 

Poe sighs. "I know. And I fully support your methods. But the bouncers don't. Can we try nonviolence? Just give them a fake number or something."

Rey crosses her arms. "I'd rather punch them." She might be tipsy, but she's sure she still could have taken that guy. 

"I know," Poe repeats, clearly regretting agreeing to stay sober and watch her for the night. "Let's try this though." His face lights up. "I have the perfect number too." 

Rey's face scrunches. "Oh?" 

"Yeah." He pulls out his phone and scrolls through his contacts, selecting one Rey can't see, then holds the phone to her ear as it rings. 

A deep male voice answers. "Fuck off, asshole," it snarls, and the call ends. 

Rey grins. "Okay. We can try this."

"Great," Poe says, clearly relieved. "Here's the number..."

-

Kylo wakes up on Saturday at his usual five am. He stares at the ceiling for a while, trying to go back to sleep, before giving up and heading to the bathroom. He grabs his phone on his way to the kitchen, squinting at the bright screen. Two emails from Snoke and another from Hux, no surprise. Scrolling, he sees a few messages too, from unknown numbers, and frowns. He unlocks his phone and opens the first message. 

"Hey baby this is Shaun from the bar. Making sure you have my # jic u need it later ;)"

Clearly a wrong number. He opens the second one and freezes. A photo, poorly lit, greets him, but he's fairly certain it's a man gripping himself through his pants. "sneek peek if you decide you want to have sum more fun 2night 😏 -tyler"

He nearly replies to correct the stranger's spelling, then decides that's not a conversation he wants to have. He blocks both numbers and opens his email while starting the coffee maker. 

With the coffee in his system, his brain slowly starts working. He vaguely remembers getting a call in the early hours of the morning and Poe's number flashing across the screen. He can't remember what he said, but it seems likely this is some petty form of revenge by Poe's idiotic friends. He debates calling Poe back, but decides not to give him the satisfaction. 

He spends most of the day on work, not that he's on the clock, but Snoke's expectations are clear. He doesn't mind. The time is worth it to keep his position in the company. He breaks to go to the gym, but by the time he closes his laptop for good, the sun is setting. He rubs his forehead, mind swimming with contracts and legal jargon. He puts on a tv show he pays no attention to as he makes himself supper. His phone chimes and he nearly groans. He picks it up, expecting another email from Snoke, only to find a new message from another unfamiliar number. 

"Heyyyyyy angel, its hunter from last night. wondering if u had plans for tonight? ;-)"

He rolls his eyes and blocks the number. A few minutes later, another: "yoo, max here wyd". Blocked. 

His phone remains blessedly quiet as he finishes cooking and eats, but as he's sitting down with a book, another chime. A photo this time. He grits his teeth and opens it. 

This gentleman has forgone the subtlety of last night's suitor and holds his erect dick in his hand, angled to the camera. The accompanying message reads, "thinking abt staying in tonight ;) interested?" He briefly considers throwing his phone across the room, but he imagines Hux's face if he has to put in another replacement request. Instead, he sends a message back. "No. Mine's bigger."

The response only takes a minute or two to come back. 

"???"

"Bitch"

Kylo blocks the number and picks up his book. In a small streak of defiance, he’s chosen one of his hidden collection of old sci-fi novels rather than one of Snoke’s recommended library. He’s getting into the story, almost relaxed, when his phone rings. Looking up from the pages, he blinks several times before glaring at the device. He nearly ignores it, but he knows Snoke’s expectations of his availability. With gritted teeth, he picks up the phone and swipes to answer the call. 

The line stays silent for a moment. He refuses to talk first. If they have something to say, they’ll speak up.

“Helloo? Ray?” a voice drawls on the other end.

“Who is this?” Kylo snaps. 

“What? Who are you?” the other man says. Then, suspiciously: “Are you her boyfriend or something?”

Kylo growls and ends the call. He glares at his phone, but it doesn’t ring again. 

He tries reading some more, but another text message interrupts him. He wonders if losing his job is worth never having to deal with a cellphone again.

This message, however, is surprisingly innocuous, if vague. “Hey! This is Sam, giving you my number.”

Kylo nearly blocks them, but decides to give them a chance, against his better judgement. 

“How did you get this number?”

A moment, then a response. “You just gave it to me at the bar? Is this ray?”

Kylo scowls. He should have known better. He opens the options to block, then suddenly realizes something. This idiot _just_ got his number. This could be his chance. He texts back. 

“Which bar?”

“The cantina?”

Then another message: “Ray?”

Kylo doesn’t bother responding. He quickly exchanges his loose shorts for a long-unused pair of jeans and barely takes the time to grab his wallet and keys before storming out of the apartment. 

The cab ride to the cantina takes far longer than he’d like, especially since the driver keeps attempting to make conversation. His phone chimes a few times more, but he ignores that too, glaring at the window until they arrive, then shoves bills at the driver and slams the door closed behind him. He stands outside the Cantina before going in, unsurprised that it remains unchanged since he last saw it. He’s fallen out of his faith in the years spent working for Snoke, but being led back here feels like solid proof that somewhere out there is a heavenly being, and they’re laughing at him. 

He pushes open the door, and a wave of sound and smell immediately assaults him. He grimaces, pushing his way through the crowd to the bar. 

He doesn’t see Maz before she’s suddenly in front of him. “Ben Solo!” she bellows, loud enough for the people around them to turn and look. He winces. “Hey Maz.”

She narrows her eyes at him, somehow looking down on him from below. “What do you need badly enough to drag you back here?”

“There’s someone I’m supposed to meet here,” he hedges. “Ray?”

Her expression turns knowing. “Ahh, the girl. Of course.” She turns and points off into the crowd. “There she is, talking to Finn.”

He follows her fingers to a girl with a strange hairstyle talking to a dark-skinned man. “With the buns?”

Maz nods. “Be nice,” she tells him, then walks away.

He doesn’t roll his eyes, because he has a sense she’d notice, even with her back turned, but it’s close. He approaches the girl from behind. She chats animatedly with the man next to her, and he wonders grimly if this one will be texting him barely coherent messages next. He reaches out a hand to tap her shoulder, then reconsiders.

“Rey,” he says. It’s not as nice as Maz would like, but he doesn’t think it warrants what happens next. 

Before he can react, Rey grabs his wrist and twists it behind his back, putting enough pressure on it to have him gritting his teeth. He likes to consider himself in shape, and he certainly spends enough time with a punching bag, but she’s _fast_. He uses his other hand to circle her wrist, not pulling -- yet. “That only really works if you have both my arms pinned.”

“Rey--” her companion at the bar pleads, but she ignores him to glare up at Kylo. Her move put them very close. He can see freckles dotted across her cheeks and flecks of green in her hazel eyes. She’s taller than she looked sitting down.

“Who are you?” she demands.

He smirks, even though she’s still got her fingers digging into his arm. “Seems rude to be giving out my number and not even know my name.”

She frowns. “Your number?”

He lets go of her to pull out his phone, bringing up his last conversation. “I assume it’s your suitors I’ve been hearing from?”

Her eyes go wide. “Finn,” she says without turning. “Why don’t you go find Poe and bring him over here.” The other man pushes off his stool and heads across the bar. 

Rey looks back up at him. “So you’re --” He rattles off his number and she winces. “Oh, shit.” She suddenly realizes she still has a hold on his arm and lets go. “I’m sorry.”

He stretches his hand, turning his wrist. “It’s fine. I’ve had worse.” 

“No, I mean --” She gestures toward his phone. “Were they that bad?” 

He purses his lips, wondering how to respond. “I can see why you don’t use your own number.”

Before she can answer, Finn reappears with a familiar man by his side. “Dameron,” Kylo growls.

“Ben!” Poe shouts, throwing his hands up in excitement. Ben realizes what he’s about to do, but fails to escape before he’s wrapped in a hug. “Haven’t seen you in ages, you dick. Have you called your mother?”

Kylo looks skyward, hoping for the ceiling to collapse onto them, and catches Rey’s bemused glance on the way. Poe finally pulls back and looks between Kylo and Rey with confusion that slowly morphs into understanding, then amusement. 

“Poe,” Rey snaps. 

He holds his hands up, a grin spreading across his face. “You have to admit, it worked. At least for a bit.”

Rey glares. “You’re an idiot.” 

He shrugs, unconcerned. “I’m resourceful. Besides, I bet it’s the most conversation Benny-boy’s had in years.”

Kylo glares at him too. He considers punching him, but also considers that there’s a decent possibility that Maz would get ahold of his mother. He’s not as stupid as the man in front of him. 

Rey rolls her eyes. "I should have known better than to listen to you."

"It got us a violence-free night. I have no regrets," Poe declares. 

"It's not going to stay violence-free much longer," Rey says pointedly. 

Poe takes the hint. "Finn, I think I hear Rose calling us." He takes Finn's hand and they go back the way they'd come. 

Rey looks like she might follow, and much as Kylo would like to see Poe get punched, he would rather Rey stay with him. "Don't," he tells her. "He's not worth it."

She looks disgruntled but agrees. "You're right. Rose will deal with him anyway." She sighs. "Want a drink? You probably need one, if you've been getting all the messages I think you have."

"Yes." He takes Finn's place next to her at the bar. He looks around for Maz, and then she's in front of them, landing two full glasses on the bartop. "You're paying," she says pointing at him, then walks back to the other end of the bar. 

"Maz!" Rey calls after her, but Kylo cuts her off. 

"Don't worry about it. I know her from way back." 

Rey frowns. "Really? I've never seen you here before."

He hesitates. "It's a long story."

She shrugs. "I'm not doing anything else."

He doesn't tell her the whole story, but more of it than he would have ever thought he'd tell a near stranger in a bar. She tells him things too, like how she ended up here with his childhood friend. He's never considered himself good at conversation, or even people in general, but before he knows it, Maz is giving them pointed looks and the bar seems brighter. He checks his phone and realizes it must be near closing. He has several new messages. He deletes them all without looking. 

Rey's friends gather around her as he pays their tab. He ignores Dameron, who has the good sense not to press his luck. They shuffle outside to wait for rides, and he walks next to Rey. 

"I liked talking to you," she says, before he can figure out his own words. 

He head feels light, in a way that's not just the few drinks he's had. "Me too."

"Maybe we could talk again sometime? Over coffee or something?"

His heart leaps. "That'd be great," he manages. "Just let me know when you're free. After all--" He gives her a crooked smile. "You have my number."

She laughs, a beautiful sound, and under the streetlights he sees a slight flush to her cheeks. "I do," she agrees. All of a sudden, her hand grabs his bare upper arm, and she pushes up to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth, her lips just brushing his. His heart beats double time, and her eyes sparkle when she pulls back. 

A car pulls up with a purple light on the dash, and her friends pile in. Her hand trails down his arm and squeezes his fingers. "I'll text you," she promises. 

She gets in the car and it pulls away. He has to resist the urge to wave after her. He finally finds a cab and on the ride back to his apartment, his phone chimes. He pulls it out, ready to block another idiot, but then he reads the message. 

"Hey Kylo, it's Rey. Now you have my number too :)"

He smiles, saves the number, and texts back. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments always appreciated!
> 
> You can also find me on [pillowfort as thelastjedi](https://www.pillowfort.social/posts/847408), [tumblr as thewayofthetrashcompactor](https://thewayofthetrashcompactor.tumblr.com/post/187883859513/rating-t-words-2438-summary-the-resistance-crew), and [twitter as briartrash](https://twitter.com/briartrash/status/1175838196132917254?s=20)


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